The regulation of wound healing is a complex mechanism involving Type II Collagen Mutants: Detection and Characterization. cell proliferation, chemotaxis, and differentiation. The effects of growth factors on these cell functions support their role in wound healing, including periodontal healing. The exogenous addition of Training for Dr. Raymond Bogaert is in Endodontics and Oral Biology. He has growth factors has been shown to enhance the regeneration capacity completed his specialty training, passed the preliminary examination in Oral of the periodontium. Regeneration of the periodontal attachment Biology, and is near the end of fulfilling course requirements for a Ph.D. apparatus requires the involvement of periodontal ligament (PDL) in Oral Biology. His primary research objective is to identify molecular cells. Human PDL fibroblasts will be cultured in vitro to defects in collagen alpha(II) at the protein level in tissues from other investigate the cellular basia for the involvement of the PDGF related chondrodysplasias. He has identified a single amino acid isoforms and TGF-beta1 in periodontal wound healing and substitution (Gly853Glu) in the collagen `(II) chain in hypochondrogenesis. regeneration. To achieve this objective, mitogenic assays will be He is working on developing microchemical techniques to help identify and used to quantitate the effects of PDGF-AA and -BB, and TGF-beta on characterize additional mutations in the spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia DNA synthesis. Additionally, the relulating effects of TGF-beta1 on subfamily of chondrodysplasias. One technique involves taking advantage of the biologic activity of PDGF will be assessed. Northern and bacterial collagenase's specificity for cleaving Y-Gly sites in collagen western blot analysis will be done to identify the modulation of molecules. The enzyme will not cleave these sites if the Gly residue is PDGF transcript, protein synthesis, and release. PDGF receptor substituted for another amino acid. Another approach for narrowing the transmodulation will be evaluated on a phenotypic level with region of the suspected mutation and for biochemical evidence of a radioreceptor assays using 125I-labeled PDGF and on a structural defect in the collagen molecule is to probe the molecule transcriptional level using northern blots. This study will enzymatically with trypsin (which will not cleave an intact triple helix) determine the modulating effects of the polypeptide growth factors, under various conditions. Yet another approach will entail visualization of PDGF-AA and -BB, by TGF-beta; and contribute to the understanding the structural defect using rotary shadowing electron microscope methods. of PDL cell-cytokine interactions in the regeneration of the Other approaches involve characterization of the increased posttranslational periodontium. modification of collagen molecules from tissues of the chondrodysplasias that have been already identified. This utilizes methods of protein purification and amino acid sequence analysis. Studies of these diseases at the molecular level will provide insight into the normal and abnormal function of skeletal tissues. Key Words: Spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia, Kniest dysplasia, Collagen type II